


A Bond None Shall Ever Break

by SovereignViolette



Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Brotherly Affection, Brotherly Bonding, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Happy Ending, How Do I Tag, Kid Fic, seriously I don't even know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-06 14:42:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17347088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SovereignViolette/pseuds/SovereignViolette
Summary: A snippet of Boromir and Faramir as kids.





	A Bond None Shall Ever Break

The cloudless night sky greeted Faramir with twinkling stars and a large, full moon. The songs of crickets chirped unabashedly around him. A few fireflies blinked to life in the distance. 

 

There wasn’t a soul in sight save for the second son of Denethor II, Steward of Gondor. He preferred to be alone right then, away from the judgemental eyes of the guards and the pitiful gaze of servants. Away from his father’s disdainful glare and curled lip.

 

A shiver raced down Faramir’s spine. Autumn was fast approaching. Soon, he’d have to  wear warmer garments if he didn’t want to become ill. Faramir huffed. His father would no doubt delight in  _ that _ . It’d teach him to be more sensible—like  _ Boromir _ . 

 

His arms—smaller than his older brother’s; mere twigs in comparison of the elder’s growing muscle—wrapped around his legs and pulled his knees tight to his chest.

 

At first, it began small. When Boromir progressed in his training as a warrior, he was heartily embraced or praised as though he’d cut down a hundred foes with a single swing of his wooden sword. Any academic lesson mastered was met with the same.

 

However, if Faramir progressed, he wasn’t praised as enthusiastically. As the seasons ticked by what praise he did receive dwindled into nothing. In its place were backhanded comments of how he wasn’t as fast as  _ Boromir _ , not as strong as  _ Boromir _ , not as smart and kind and noble as  **_Boromir_ ** .

 

A burning sensation clawed at the back of Faramir’s eyes. He squeezed them shut in an attempt to keep the tears at bay.

 

He couldn’t help but wonder if he would ever be good enough for his father. 

 

A pair of booted feet scuffed the cobblestones. Acting on instinct, Faramir snatched the dagger from its holster at his hip and whipped around to face his would-be assassin.

 

Upon seeing who it was, his hand faltered.

 

“Are you going to stab me with that, little brother?”

 

Faramir muttered incomprehensibly under his breath. He roughly sheathed his weapon—and nearly knicked his thumb doing so. Without a word, he turned from his brother, choosing instead to give the stars his attention.

 

Boromir sighed. He closed the gap between them and made himself comfortable next to his little brother. One arm draped over his propper knee as his other hand reached out to muss up Faramir’s hair.

 

“Why is it the White Tree of Gondor sees more of you than I do these days?”

 

It was a jest, Faramir knew. Something to ease the tension; make the younger of the two feel at ease.

 

It only made him feel worse.

 

A heavier sigh escaped Boromir as his younger brother ducked away from his hand. “What father said at supper—”

 

“Don’t.” Faramir’s forehead fell atop his knees with a dull thud. He couldn’t take empty platitudes just then. They were silent for a time, lost in their own thoughts, when Faramir stated, “Father hates me.”

 

Boromir’s response was immediate. “No, he doesn’t.”

 

“He does. Father does not care for me, Boromir, and you know this to be true—”

 

“Faramir—”

 

“He never smiles at me the way he does you, Boromir. Does not praise me or declare his affection to anyone with ears. Father criticizes me constantly—”

 

“Faramir, enough—”

 

“Sometimes I wonder if he would miss me if I disappeared. If anyone would.”

 

Two hands seized his shoulders and shoved him back into the White Tree’s unfaltering trunk. Hard. Faramir’s eyes flew open to stare into his older brother’s. Boromir’s eyes were ablaze with fiery indignation, mouth tugged down into a harsh frown, eyebrows scrunched together in disbelief.

 

“ _ Never _ say such a thing again,” Boromir commanded. He gave his little brother a rough shake. “Do you hear me, Faramir? Do not so much as think it again.”

 

Faramir slumped against the tree, eyes downcast. Boromir dipped his head in an attempt to get his younger brother to meet his gaze.

 

“Father loves you just as much as he loves me.”

 

The words were nothing but lies and the sons of Denethor II knew it.

 

Boromir released one of the younger boy’s shoulders and tipped his head up so their eyes could meet.

 

“You are the bravest, smartest brother anyone in all of Middle Earth could have,” he declared. “It does not matter if Father does not yet know your strengths. I do. I have seen you train harder than any other squire in Gondor.”

 

Warmth bloomed in his chest as his eyes pricked with tears once again. Faramir swiped the back of his hand across his eyes to banish them before his older brother could detect them.

 

“The people of Gondor will see us both become noble warriors. And when they do, so will Father; he will throw a celebration so large the other kingdoms of Middle Earth will be stricken with envy.”

 

Heart lighter than it had been before, Faramir flashed his brother a small, heartfelt smile, to which Boromir returned. It was hard to doubt Boromir’s declaration when he said it with such conviction. 

 

Perhaps Boromir was simply trying to cheer him up. Perhaps he—not they; no, Boromir was destined to become the jewel of Gondor, Faramir knew—would never become as fierce a warrior as the older boy. It didn’t matter. Boromir believed in Faramir. He saw the younger brother’s worth where their father failed.

 

That was all that mattered.

 

Time passed in a blur. Within moments or hours, Boromir rearranged them so the two of them were side by side, one arm hooked around Faramir’s shoulders to hold him close.

 

It didn’t take long for the emotional exhaustion to take its toll on him. Before he knew it, the steady  _ thump-thump-thump _ of Boromir’s heart lulled him to sleep. 

 

Boromir rested his cheek atop his brother’s head and closed his eyes. He whispered to no one in particular, “I swear on the White Tree, I will always be here for you, little brother.”

**Author's Note:**

> Forgive me if these characters are OOC in any way. I'm not too familiar with them. This is my gift to a fellow writer from a "Secret Santa" deal last month in the WTT (Writing Tips & Tricks) Server on Discord. 
> 
> If you're a writer and want to hang out with other writers, feel free to join us!
> 
> https:// discord.gg/ 32C Z7br (delete all spaces!)


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